New Delhi [India], August 10 : Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Monday described the coming together of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and students in Prayagraj as a "confluence" of ideas and collective strength, asserting that the youth movement would challenge the BJP's "nefarious designs".
Speaking to ANI, Tiwari said, "I hail from Prayagraj. On the soil of Prayagraj, the coming together of students and Rahul Gandhi was akin to the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna; a vast ocean of ideas, expression, and collective strength is surging, an ocean in which the BJP and its nefarious designs will surely be submerged."
Tiwari's remarks came after Rahul Gandhi, the Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, launched a sharp attack on the Centre over unemployment during the "Chhatron ki Goonj' event in Prayagraj on Saturday.
Gandhi claimed that only 12 out of every 1,000 young people manage to secure permanent employment in the country.
"Let me give you the figures: out of every 1000 young people, only 12 land a permanent job," Gandhi said while addressing a large gathering of students.
He also criticised the growing dependence on social media and digital platforms, alleging that young people were being made "addicted" to them while their data was being collected by large corporations.
Gandhi said India has around 40 crore "energetic young people" and argued that youth potential and data would be the two key drivers of the 21st-century economy.
However, he alleged that several avenues of employment had been weakened, including manufacturing, entrepreneurship, government recruitment and corporate jobs.
On manufacturing, Gandhi blamed demonetisation and what he termed "wrong GST" for weakening small businesses and industries such as leather, textiles and automobiles.
He also criticised the implementation of Startup India, alleging that students and small and medium enterprises struggle to access bank loans.
On government recruitment, Gandhi raised concerns over paper leaks and claimed that only one in 150 candidates succeeds in securing a government job.
He further alleged that the privatisation of public-sector enterprises had reduced employment opportunities, while artificial intelligence was increasingly threatening jobs in the corporate sector.
During the interaction, a student also raised concerns over paper leaks in several recruitment examinations in Uttar Pradesh.
Gandhi concluded his address by calling for a peaceful struggle, saying that India's political and social challenges must be confronted through "truth and non-violence" rather than hatred.